For so many years, we have lived surrounded by boxes. Stacey and I counted up the number of places we have lived since we have been married, and discovered that although it included five states, it has also included something like eleven different homes when you also count the in town moves as well. From the Air Force to the Print Shop, to College, and into full time ministry, we have been pretty mobile over the years. This is the longest we have lived in one place, and is the only place we and our boys have begun to call "home."Now that we have moved into the new house, we hope NEVER to have to move again. This is home. But, in a sense it is not home. The Bible makes it clear that this world is a temporary place and that our permanent home is with the Lord. John said that the world is "passing away" (1 Jn 2:17). Paul says that "the form of this world is passing away" (1 Cor 7:31). Peter said that "the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (2 Pet 3:10).
The world as we know it is a temporary place. Our Lord is preparing a new home for us where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13). The final picture of God's people, the church, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb, is a restoration to the tree of life. This picture reminds us that God will restore what we lost due to sin. There will be no sickness, dying, poverty, or anything unclean and evil there. There will no longer by any curse, we will be in the presence of God and will "see his face" (Rev 22:3-4).
That will be the greatest move ever. In addition, this is not a move we have to pack up a truck and move our things for. Many of the parables that Jesus told , such as the Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31), indicates that the things we accumulate for ourselves in this life do not in any way, shape, or form go with us on this move. In fact, they can bog us down to where we cannot make the journey to Heaven. Depending on our attachment to them and how we gain them, they could actually wind up being evidence against us! (James 5:2-5).
On the other hand, Jesus also indicates that we can "store up" treasures in Heaven (Mt 6:20). When we care for the poor as Jesus did and follow him, we have treasure in Heaven (Mt 19:21). When we show people that "we care" and do as Jesus did by feeding their body with food and their soul with the Gospel, we have treasure in Heaven. Jesus said to take care of the poor and "follow me," and then we would have treasure in Heaven. We don’t even have to pack up a truck!